The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1908. THE PREMIER AT AUCKLAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2111, 10 February 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times . PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1908. THE PREMIER AT AUCKLAND.

Sir Joseph Ward’s i-ueccli nc Auckland docs not appear, to have contained muck that is . new. the Premier apparently contenting himself with a brief resume of the .work transacted last session. With characteristic modesty, he claims to have disposed of the questions of settling the native lands, and also of the immigration of Chinese. We could wish that there were grounds for the contention, but, at present, indications are that there is quite as much trouble ahead, as has been experienced in the past, in regard to Maori lands. The only consoling featurevin Sir Joseph’s rein arks .on the general question of immigration is his frankness. The Premier admits that the increase in our population this year has been 8000 less than it was last year, yet expresses himself as being strongly agiinst bringing a large number of immigrants from the Old Country. He is reported to have said that wo ought to continue the present system of assisting, in a moderate way, to bring suitable men and women to the Dominion. One would have thought 'that the Premier would hive been seriously concerned at the result quoted, but, on the contrary, a policy that has the effect of diminishing the former paltry volume of immigration to our shores appears to him as the one to be adhered to. The position is indeed a rery serious one. much more so than

Sir Joseph Ward appears to realise. Wo have not one-tenth of the- populitiou Unit the country ought lo carry, mill are adding lo .it merely at the rate of about 20,000 a year, most of the increase being due to the excess of births over deaths. With less, than a million people, wo would, in tlie event of a war amongst the big nations, surely fill an easy prey to any Power that chose to attack' iis. There is only one factor .standing between us and invasion by a foreign foe, ami that is the supremacy of the British navy. (Should England bo. attacked by a combination of the groat Powers, she might lie liaril put Lo it to guard her own shores, and in such an event our plight would indeed bo a -sorry one. We have an apology for harbor defences, and we have a few thousand volunteers, but no one would seriously contend that wo could make a protracted stand against a foe of any dimensions. Wo have always boon proud to rest content in the knowledge that Britain ' “rules the waves,” blit iust now, when there is so much naval activity amongst all the Powers, and every year finds it increasingly difficult lor the Old Country to maintain the Two-Power stand.ud, we must recogmso the possibility of the British fleet some day being beaten. In such a base, with a. few million people in the country, and a proper system of defence, we could probably hold New Zealand still for the British people, and continue to work out tho glorious desliny that should bo-ours. But with less thin a million inhabitants, we should fall an easy victim to the first strong foe that chose the opportunity of a great war to come along ami attack us. ■ This, then, is one reason why the Premier should have been dissatisfied .with the present methods of obtaining immigrants. Every additional able-bodied man who lands in tho Dominion means one more, capable of firing a gun in our defence, should the necessity over arise. Then, again, it has become abundantly evident lately that tho development of the country is being seriously impeded by tilio scarcity of labor that is notice able throughout the Dominion. We have the healthiest country in the world, with capital prospects for those seeking work, yet we cannot get the immigrants, whilst Canada is getting them by thoifsands per week. Obviously either our system of immigration, or its administration, is at fault, and it is high time the subject was taken up m earnest by the Government. This is not a party matter, but one for national consideration, and any Ministry which came forward with a really suitable scheme for greatly increasiiiir the volume of our immigration would probably find little difficulty 'in getting its wishes carried into effect.